Friday, November 6, 2009

The saga continues..

Monty is still around and Bebe is still running around. Hopefully the latter will be sorted out shortly with a visit to the vet. I had dished up for the other cats this morning and put down a small bowl for Monty, which I left him eating. About 10 minutes later, from the kitchen, I could hear a cat fight break out. "Quick Brad, Go see! Cats fighting!" He ran out to see and when he came back, said it must have been Monty fighting with someone because he was walking down the driveway shaking his head. As I was warming up the car later to leave for work, Bradley rapped on my window and pointed to Mischief, the alpha male who was limping (hopping) on one front paw and holding the other one up in the air dramatically. I checked it out and it looked like a claw may have broken off but no blood. Or else he's twisted it somehow during the fight. I'll check it out later.

I wasn't at work for very long when Bradley came on line on mxit (illegally as he was in class), spitting mad. His little English teacher had apparently told the class after a spelling test that for every wrong answer, the correction for that wrong answer would have to be written out 1000 times. He had 8 wrong. So needless to say Bradley hadn't done his 8000 corrections. The little teacher handed out break detention until the end of the year. "Mom, I'm bigger than her. She must watch out! I'll hit her" Another child with anger management problems! But the teachers do seem to be extremely aggravating at the moment. The kids start exams next week. Really don't know why there is this strange battle of wills taking place at the moment between the teachers and the kids just before the year end tests?

Robynne's car has experienced some problems after the long trip from Cape Town to Gauteng. She drove it around fine for a week but on Wednesday evening, it started cutting out. Then on Thursday morning it wouldn't start at all. Her dad had a look but doesn't really know the Chevy engine that well and they towed it to a local garage in the area - people that have just opened their business. They apparently had diagnostic equipment and came back with a diagnosis. The fuel pump packed up. She was really hoping that she would have it back today but they have phoned her. No, its not the fuel pump, its now some other pipe which they have to get from the agent and its going to cost R2,000. She is very upset as she doesn't have that money now and doesn't even understand what the mechanic was saying to her. On a positive note, she is going away for the weekend with her friend, Terri and some other 20 somethings to a self catering unit at a resort in Warmbaths. She needs a relaxing weekend away to restore her equilibrium and to have a bit of fun.

Everything will turn out all right but sometimes when things go wrong, it seems like the end of the world and we think we can't carry on. If we really think about it, the things that go wrong are maybe a dent to our self-esteem, or a temporary halt to our independence but that which money can fix is not something that is truly important at the end of the day. Its our relationships with people, our family and people we come into contact with that truly enrich us and empower us to carry on. I have met some truly wonderful and caring people on the internet and in real life. I appreciate my family and I try to be a person who can be relied on by friends and family alike. All these little things like broken cars, neverending bills, stolen handbags, head colds, rude people, burnt suppers are just so unimportant when measured against the yardstick of human relationships.

What a great post. We've had a trying week as well. Crazy stuff happening all around us. In fact, in about a half and hour we are leaving to go help my daughter and her husband two their truck. He just lost his job and then his truck breaks down and they have a tiny baby. These are the kinds of events that we can't let get to us, aren't they? Thanks for reminding me.

Renee - I'm sure that we have all had our share of these types of irritations this year. Life is not easy but I think the major thing to do to reduce stress is to try to change how we let them affect us. It makes a big difference to our stress levels as well.

Kaleena - I don't think there is much that can measure up to our relationships with those who are important in our lives.

Elizabeth - Thank you. Alas it is a fact that we don't just have our own problems to sort out but those of our own children as well, no matter how old they are. I still rely on my parents when I have car trouble and for the occasional meal. And I help my parents with admin issues. (I'm quite good at fighting for my family's rights!)I appreciate their being there for me whenever I need them. We have all been there where your daughter and her hub are now. No money lots of issues. We have come through it as stronger people. Nothing is permanent and problems get solved.

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Do not stand at my grave and weep; I am not there. I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn's rain. When you awaken in the morning's hush, I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there, I did not die.